A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Beer, Thomas
BEER. (Commander, 1825. f-p., 23; h-p., 26.)
Thomas Beer was born 18 Aug. 1787, at Stoke, near Plymouth.
This officer entered the Navy, in March, 1796, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Royal Sovereign 100, bearing the flag in the Channel of Sir Alan Gardner, and afterwards of Sir Hen. Harvey, under whom, latterly as Midshipman, he continued to serve until April, 1802. In May following he became attached to the Aurora 28, Capt. Micajah Malbon, on the Newfoundland station, and, in Dec. 1803, joined the Montagu 74, Capt. Robt. Waller Otway. During an employment of five years in the latter ship he was present, in 1805, in Admiral Comwallis’s attack on the French fleet close in with Brest harbour, when the Montagu exchanged fire with L’Alexandre, a French 80-gun ship; assisted at the evacuation of Scylla in 1808; and, subsequently, co-operated with the patriots on the coast of Catalonia. Mr. Beer, in Nov. 1808, removed to the Ocean 98, flag-ship in the Mediterranean of Lord Collingwood; became Acting-Lieutenant, 13 Jan. 1809, of the Warrior 74, Capt. John Wm. Spranger; participated, in Oct. following, in the reduction of Zante, Cephalonia, and their dependencies; received an Admiralty commission 4 May, 1810; and, on 23 April, 1811, was appointed to the Martin 18, Capts. John Evans and Humphrey Fleming Senhouse. With the latter officer he proceeded to North America, and, on 29 July, 1813, was on board the Martin during a critical action, when aground in Delaware Bay, with a flotilla of American gun-boats, 10 in number, who however ultimately retired without effecting any serious mischief. He next, on 4 Feb. 1814, assumed command of the Bream schooner in the Bay of Fundy, and there served until placed on half-pay in Sept. following. From 26 July, 1821, until his advancement to his present rank, 29 July, 1825, he continued, as Lieutenant of the Severn 50, and Supernumerary of the Ramillies 74, to be actively employed, on the Kentish coast, under Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch, in the suppression of smuggling. He has not since held any official occupation.